Written by Madiha Boolani, Four Green Steps

A recent issue of the Environmental Science and Technology journal published a study by Carnegie Mellon University researcher Christopher Weber who found that food transport accounts for 11 percent of food related green house gas emissions while production contributes to 83 percent! The major composition of these emissions is nitrous oxide and methane which are byproducts of fertilizer use, manure management and animal digestion.

From Treehugger:

Weber and colleague Scott Matthews conducted a life-cycle assessment of greenhouse gases emitted during all stages of growing and transporting food consumed in the U.S. (using Department of Commerce data) and calculated that the average U.S. household generates 8.1 metric tons (t) of greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) annually as a result of food consumption. By comparison, driving a car that gets 25 miles per gallon of gasoline for 12,000 miles per year (the U.S. average) produces about 4.4 tons of CO2.

Want to do more for the environment? Reduce your carbon footprint by eating less of red meat and more of vegetables! Try some of our delicious  Vegan & Vegetarian recipes!

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